I dont see how the current tower is sitting to close to the runways.. The new one will be about the same distance away from runway 28 as the old one is to runway 28 and 18. This is awesome.. Finally, can hear "Northwest 1145, contact Traverse City Approach on XXX.X."

The Federal Aviation Administration will spend $6 million on a new control tower at Cherry Capital Airport, while the Bay Area Transportation Authority will get $1 million for new buses and its proposed downtown transfer station.
The new airport control tower will replace the existing one, built in 1974, which sits too close to the runways, tower supervisor Jeff Homant said. Both the tower and the abutting airport terminal are within the safety setback. A new, multimillion dollar terminal is under construction.

Below is the whole article.

Bill includes local projects
BATA may be able to build new terminal
By BRIAN McGILLIVARY
Record-Eagle staff writer

TRAVERSE CITY - A handful of northern Michigan transportation proposals were among the big winners on a list of special projects lawmakers injected into the $820 billion federal appropriations bill approved by Congress.

The Federal Aviation Administration will spend $6 million on a new control tower at Cherry Capital Airport, while the Bay Area Transportation Authority will get $1 million for new buses and its proposed downtown transfer station.
The new airport control tower will replace the existing one, built in 1974, which sits too close to the runways, tower supervisor Jeff Homant said. Both the tower and the abutting airport terminal are within the safety setback. A new, multimillion dollar terminal is under construction.

A new downtown bus terminal may be in the works for Traverse City after years of planning, BATA director Joe DeKoning said.
BATA received a $1.2 million appropriation for a proposed transfer station south of Eighth Street in 2001. The city rejected that proposal and DeKoning conceded that sitting on that money hasn't helped when asking the federal government to pay for new buses.
BATA requested $3 million for replacement buses this year.
The city commission eventually determined the bus station belonged downtown. DeKoning said BATA then took a year off to get a millage passed, but is now close to finalizing a purchase on downtown property. The new funding will help.
"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can actually get it done this year," DeKoning said.
Other local projects earmarked for funding in the bill include:
- $675,000 to the Cadillac/Wexford Transit Authority for buses and facility improvements.
- $225,000 for restoration work on the Traverse City Opera House.
- $1 million for the second phase of a new terminal project at Pellston Regional Airport.
- $525,000 to Mercy Hospital in Cadillac for construction and renovation.
- $250,000 for new software for the Charlevoix-Cheboygan-Emmet 911 Central Dispatch Authority.
- $250,000 to the Grand Traverse County Board of Public Works for sewer infrastructure improvements.

Hi. Its been a long time since I posted.. This is indeed great news. It seems like the airport in Traverse City has a bunch planned in the near future. The new terminal, tower, and from what I have been reading from various sources, a runway extension.